The Will of Fire
by Adnacia
Summary: Hinata is no longer the chosen one. She and Neji decide to leave the village. Will they have help or do it on their own? Where are they going? What is Hiashi up to? Answers inside. Neji/Hinata
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own these characters. They belong to Kishimoto. I own the plot of this story. Nothing being made from it. I had great fun writing this story and I hope it shows. Enjoy!

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Hinata sat on the floor wiping her eyes. She would not cry. She was a kunoichi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She was strong. Though she was strong physically, her heart was fragile and was currently breaking. She hated that things had come to what they had. The plan had been put into motion. She hated that she had had to make the choice. The choice to leave.

Hiashi Hyuga had unknowingly settled the matter for his daughter. Hinata had always known that her father favored her younger sister over her but that night had been the final straw. Hinata had never been berated and shot down like she had that night. Not to mention her father had told her that she would no longer be heir to the Hyuga clan. That so called privilege had been given to her sister. The Elders had met and decided that was best. It did not matter that Hinata had improved under the direction of Kurenai and Neji. She would never be as strong as Hanabi, the golden child, in the eyes of her father.

Hinata saw a swallow fly by her window. _"It's time."_ She thought sadly to herself as she stood up and grabbed her bag. She walked over to the window and turned around. She took one last glance around her room. It had lost all signs of life. Hinata had packed all of her clothes except for her ceremonial kimonos and items that would be of no use. She had grabbed the photos of her father, mother, and sister. Nothing important remained behind. She had evened grabbed a pillow and a blanket. She was ready. Hinata climbed out of the window and suppressed her chakra. She looked around and saw no one and sensed no chakra. She sprinted to the meeting place.

0000

Neji stood outside the Hyuga compound and waited patiently for Hinata to come. He hated that it had come to this. He hated it for his cousin. The cousin who he cared about deeply. As he waited he thought back to how this had occurred.

_Hiashi had called him earlier that day to tell him the decision the Elders had made that day. Neji did not change his expression even though he was furious. _

"_Are you sure about this, Uncle?" _

"_I am sure. Hanabi is much better qualified for leading the clan."_

"_And what will happen to Hinata?" Neji asked afraid of what his uncle would say._

"_She will be sent to the Branch family."_

_With that Hiashi dismissed Neji. Neji walked out furious at his uncle. He would be damned if his cousin would have the seal put on her. He did not see Hinata until supper that night. It was one of the rare occasions where he was allowed to eat with the main branch. He had been seated across from Hinata which was good for him. Supper had been quiet but Neji gave the signal to enact their plan. He cleared his throat three times in a row which caused Hinata to look up at him understanding in her eyes. _

_Supper ended and everyone parted ways. Hinata went off to pack as did Neji. They hoped that everything would go well._

Neji shook his head to clear his thoughts when he picked up a small chakra signature. _"She's here."_ He thought in relief as Hinata came into view.

"Neji." She called out quietly.

He stepped from the shadows causing Hinata to jump a little. Neither one said a word as they sprinted away from the Hyuga compound. They immediately went to Sakura's apartment and knocked on the door. They were surprised for the door to be opened by Kakashi but didn't dwell on it. He stood aside for them to enter before going to get Sakura. When Sakura saw the cousins she immediately understood. Kakashi just looked confused.

"Do you want me to go ahead and get Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked as she brought out some tea.

"No. Not right now." Neji replied. "We need to figure out what all we need and the best place for us to go."

Kakashi spoke up and asked, "What the hell is going on?"

"I can't tell you. It is up to Neji or Hinata to answer." Sakura replied.

Hinata spoke up, "We are leaving Konoha."

"Why?" Kakashi asked. "Isn't it against the clan's rules for you to leave?"

"Yes. But we are not relying on the clan anymore." Neji looked to Hinata to find out if it was okay for him to continue. He saw her nod and he kept going. "We decided when Hinata turned eighteen that if Uncle decided that she would no longer be the heir, we would leave."

"It's been two years since she turned eighteen. Why did Hiashi just now decide to make Hanabi the heir?" Kakashi asked.

"He said that I would not be worthy to carry on the name of Hyuga and it would be better for me to protect my sister." Hinata said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Neji wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. He never had physical contact with Hinata in public except when they would spar. For him to put his arm around her was very unusual and made her want to cry on him. She barely managed to pull herself together but stayed in Neji's embrace.

Sakura spoke up, "I was told about this. They were going to come here and I was to get Lady Tsunade. She was going to remove Neji's seal and disengage the Byakugan."

"Is it possible for her to do that?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. But it is very difficult and comes with great risks that both Neji and Hinata are prepared for."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully before standing up. "I'm going back to bed and I know nothing. I wish you two the best of luck." He smiled at them and went back to bed.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Hinata said before her mouth fell open. "He didn't have his mask on!"

Sakura giggled and stood up, "I'm going to let you two rest for a little bit. I'll be back in here in two hours with Lady Tsunade."

Neji nodded in understanding. Sakura walked to a closet and came back with a blanket. Neji took it and thanked Sakura who quickly left the living room. Neji and Hinata lay down on the couch and were soon asleep.

They were woken by a voice saying, "Well isn't that a pretty sight?"

Neji raised his head up and said, "Lady Tsunade. I'm sorry that you have to see me like this."

"Don't worry about it, Neji. Let's take care of that seal first."

Hinata sat up and moved out of the way so Neji could get up. Tsunade moved the couch and proceeded to put symbols all of over Sakura's floor. She directed Neji to sit down and take his shirt off. He was soon covered with the symbols. Tsunade did a complex set of hand signs and put her hand over the middle of Neji's seal. After five minutes, the seal was gone and Neji was exhausted. He fell back on the floor asleep.

"Sakura!" Tsunade called.

"Yes."

"Get that good for nothing Kakashi up and tell him to put Neji in your bed. The boy needs to rest on something besides the floor."

Sakura blushed a bright red but immediately headed to the bedroom. She soon returned with an unhappy Kakashi who picked Neji up and put him in Sakura's bed.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" He asked.

"In your own bed. Not in the bed of my apprentice." Tsunade said. She turned to Hinata. "Sakura told me the situation. Are you sure you want to lose the ability of the Byakugan?"

Hinata nodded yes.

"You do realize that this is permanent. If you decide to come back then you will never regain use of your unique ability."

Hinata nodded and said, "I have no doubts. And if I don't do this, my family will hunt me down and kill me."

Tsunade nodded grimly and said, "This will not be easy. You will not be able to leave tonight. It will be tomorrow night. You will probably sleep most of the day."

Hinata nodded.

"Let's do this." Tsunade said.

Tsunade did some hand signs and focused her chakra to hands. She placed her hands over Hinata's eyes. Hinata resisted the urge to cry out at the pain. She had figured that there would be pain but not this much and not this intense. She was oblivious to the looks of sympathy she was receiving from Kakashi and Sakura. She was oblivious to the look of compassion that was on Tsunade's face. She was oblivious to the fact that Neji had walked in and was watching his cousin with concern and love etched on his face. After ten minutes of agonizing pain, Tsunade removed her hands and instructed Hinata to keep her eyes closed. She did another set of hand signs and placed her hands back over Hinata's eyes. This time the hands lingered for only a minute and the pain was not intense. When Tsunade finished she said, "Keep your eyes closed, Hinata. I'm going to wrap a bandage around your eyes that you must keep there for at least twenty-four hours. If they removed before then there is a good chance that you could lose your sight due to light exposure. Your eyes are very delicate now."

Hinata nodded and Tsunade presumed to wrap a bandage around Hinata's eyes. Tsunade motioned for Kakashi to come over and he carried Hinata to Sakura's bed. Tsunade looked up and saw Neji standing in the doorway. He stepped aside and his eyes followed Hinata's form.

"It's your turn, Neji." Tsunade said.

She did the same thing to Neji as she had done to Hinata. After he had been put in the bed next to Hinata, Tsunade told Kakashi and Sakura, "You know nothing about what I did to help those two. I just made the biggest gamble of my life with helping them."

"What do we need to do when they wake up?" Sakura asked.

"Make sure they stay away from all windows. They can not be seen if they want to escape. I'm going to go and prepare the papers they will need. In the morning I am going to need for Kakashi to go get provisions for them. Sakura, you need to stay here and keep an eye on them." With that Tsunade left and Kakashi and Sakura took the couch for the rest of the night.

00000

Neji woke up to darkness. _"What the hell has happened?"_ he thought while trying to stay calm. He knew that he was on a bed and figured it had to be Sakura's bed. He felt the presence of another person next to him so he reached out his hand and felt a body. His hand lightly skimmed up the person's arm. He figured that the person was lying on their side facing away from him. As he skimmed up the arm he realized that the person had long hair. _"Hinata."_ He thought in relief. He hadn't realized how much he was concerned about her until he realized she was safe. He laid back down and moved closer to Hinata and pulled her close to him.

"Neji?" She asked a small note of panic in her voice.

He wrapped his arm tighter around Hinata and nuzzled her neck. "Calm down. I'm right here."

Hinata sighed in contentment and drifted back to sleep. Neji couldn't go back to sleep. He laid there with Hinata's back against his chest and tried to keep his thoughts clear. He tried to not dwell on what would happen if they were caught. He knew that they would be killed. He also knew that he would die in agony because he would have failed Hinata.

"I will not fail her." Neji said softly as he snuggled against Hinata and fell back asleep.

000000

"Kakashi! Be quiet!" Sakura whispered loudly.

Hinata jerked awake. She knew that she still had the bandages over her eyes and the world would still be dark but it was still difficult seeing black. She quickly calmed down and managed to get out of Neji's embrace without waking him up. She crawled out of bed and tried to get her bearings. She heard Neji groan and mutter something before turning over. Hinata grinned and slowly made her way toward what she hoped was the door. She reached the wall and slowly crept toward the voices she heard. She felt the outline of a door and slid her hand along the door until she felt the doorknob. She opened the door and heard, "Hey, Hinata!"

"Hello, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei."

"I hope you slept well." Sakura said.

"I did. Thank you. Umm… Where is the restroom?" Hinata asked.

"Five steps to your right. Turn 90 degrees and walk ten steps." Kakashi answered.

Hinata bowed slightly and followed Kakashi's directions. She used the bathroom and made her way back to the living room. She made her way to the couch and sat down.

"Excuse me, but is it night yet?" Hinata asked.

"Not quite. It is only about three in the afternoon." Kakashi answered.

"Thank you."

"There is no need to be so proper, Hinata." Sakura said. "Think of this as your home."

"This is how I acted at home." Hinata replied.

"Just relax. Lean back against the couch. There is no need to be proper here." Sakura replied.

Hinata leaned back and sighed. She had never felt so welcome in a home before. She and Sakura were not the closest of friends but Sakura was treating her like a sister. She smiled softly and said, "Thank you, Sakura for letting me and Neji stay with you."

"It is no problem, Hinata. There is no need to keep thanking me either." Sakura said.

"Well, I will then thank you for letting us stay here." Neji said from the doorway to Sakura's bedroom.

"No. There is no need to do that." Sakura said.

"Yes. There is. You have opened your home and allowed us to come in. This is the least we can do." Neji replied as he slowly made his way toward his friends.

"If you keep thanking me it will eventually become tiring and not seem sincere." Sakura replied.

"She has a point, Neji." Hinata said as she turned her head toward her cousin who had sat beside her.

Neji nodded his head and the group fell quiet. The quiet was soon interrupted by Kakashi announcing that he was going to get something eat and bring back food for everyone.

After he left, Sakura started to prepare different things for the cousins. She started to pack boxes of supplies that Kakashi had bought earlier so that they would not have to worry about buying supplies when they reached their destination.

"Is there anything I can help you do, Sakura?" Hinata asked.

"No. You two just need to rest so that you will be rested when you leave."

The day finally turned into night. Kakashi arrived with food for the journey and food for when they got to where they were going. The night wore on and there was no sign of Tsunade. She finally arrived a little before midnight. When she arrived, she looked exhausted.

"Sorry I'm late. I've been dealing with the Hyugas all day. You two have caused a major upheaval." She told Neji and Hinata.

"What are they planning on doing?" Neji asked.

"I'm afraid that they are going to be watching the gate. They know that you are either planning on sneaking out or have already done that. I did stop them from sending out a team to hunt for you."

"How big of a team?" Neji asked.

"I'm not sure. Hiashi just requested that a team be sent out to hunt for you. I denied him but I'm afraid he will send out several teams."

"Do you know of the best place for us to go, Lady Hokage?" Hinata asked.

"The farthest you can get away from here the better." Tsunade replied. "But first, let's take off those bandages."

Tsunade went to Hinata first and took off her bandages. Hinata opened her eyes. It was wonderful to be able to see. She watched as Tsunade took the bandages off Neji. He did not change expressions but Hinata knew that Neji was grateful to have his sight back.

"Are you experiencing any pain?"

Neji and Hinata shook their heads no.

"Blurred vision?"

Again, no.

"Follow my finger." She told Hinata before doing the same to Neji.

"What is the farthest thing you can make out?" She asked.

"A magnet on the fridge." Neji replied.

"Which one?" Tsunade asked.

"The one at the top left corner."

Tsunade turned and went, "Oh. Well, I'm glad you can read it. Hinata, what is the farthest thing you can make out?"

"The saying that Sakura has framed in the kitchen."

"Then your vision hasn't changed much. That is good. You will need to inform me of any changes in your eyesight." She informed them.

"Yes, Hokage." Hinata answered.

"This is the plan I have come up with. Kakashi is going to drive a wagon out of the village that is carrying some cargo. You two will be part of the cargo. I have your outfit, Kakashi. You will be dressed as a poor farmer." Tsunade held up Kakashi's outfit. She also held up an outfit for Sakura. "You will be the poor wife. Neji, Hinata, you will dressed in farmer's clothing also. You will have to have bandages over your eyes like you are blind in case you are found. I hope that you will not be found but this is just in case." With that she handed outfits out.

"What will the cargo be?" Sakura asked Tsunade.

"The provisions for Neji and Hinata."

"I don't mean to be rude or ungrateful, but why are you helping us?" Neji asked Tsunade.

"I always was known for taking a gamble. I usually don't win unless something terrible is going to happen, but I have a feeling that this is going to be different. It is also my way of rebelling against the Hyugas."

"The main thing you are doing is rebelling." Kakashi said teasingly.

"Shut up, Kakashi Hatake." Tsunade said. "Now we don't have much time. Kakashi, go get a cart and a mule. We will be ready when you get back. But you need to change first. Sakura go help him change his hair color and change the hairstyle. It is too obvious. Sakura you need to go ahead and dye your hair." With that Tsunade tossed two bottles of hair dye and Kakashi and Sakura went to dye hair.

"You two make sure everything is together and that you are ready. When it is time for you to leave, you will have to leave immediately."

Three hours later Neji and Hinata were climbing into the back of the wagon. Boxes were piled in around them. A blanket was thrown over them and the lightest of boxes were put on top of them. They heard a whispered "Good luck" from Tsunade and felt Sakura and Kakashi climb into the wagon. Soon, the wagon was moving. Neji and Hinata grabbed each other's hand and held on.

0000000

The three hours before they left had been busy. Tsunade had been giving them instructions that they were to keep in touch and send in reports every month. There were also papers to sign. Tsunade had also provided them with enough money to get back. She had also promised that the money that they had saved and been putting in her care would be sent to them once they settled down.

Now that was in the past and they were looking forward to a new future. They knew that it would not be easy and the road would be hard, but they were prepared. They had each other and could face the days ahead. They heard the guards at the gate and knew when Kakashi drove the through the gates. After he drove two hours the cart came to a start.

"All clear." He whispered to the buried cousins.

They came out from under the blanket and boxes and removed the bandages from their eyes. Sakura looked like she was about to cry.

"Don't cry, Sakura." Hinata said as she hugged Sakura.

"I just can't believe that I'm saying good bye to another friend. I'm going to miss you! Let me know if you need anything!" Sakura said as she hugged Hinata tightly.

Sakura let go of Hinata and went over to Neji and threw her arms around him. Neji looked slightly thrown off but half-heartedly returned the hug. Sakura stepped back and stood by Kakashi.

"Good luck." Kakashi said.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." They replied at the same time.

Neji helped Hinata into the cart before he climbed in beside her. He never looked back. Hinata took one last look at Kakashi and Sakura and gave one final wave. They waved back and took off back to Konoha. Hinata turned around and scooted close to Neji. Hinata smiled a sad smile and leaned her head against Neji's shoulder. He removed one of his hands from the reigns and put it around Hinata's shoulder.

"I'm going to protect you and you will never have to worry about anything ever again." He whispered.

Hinata smiled a contented smile and wrapped her arms around Neji. Neji's eyes shown with contentment. They were both looking forward to what the future held for them and refused to look back.

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A/N: This is the most I have ever written for a one shot or even a chapter. I'm not sure if I want to tell what happens to Neji and Hinata as they go along on their journey. Tell me what you think. If I do continue, the chapters will not be near as long. If I do continue the story, do not expect frequent updates. I want to do this story properly and not rush it. Though, I already have a chapter two written. A little background on why I wrote this: I was listening to Savage Garden and I realized that one of their songs could apply to Neji and Hinata. My mind took off from there! I did not have internet access for about a week so I wrote this and the possible chapter 2 that week. I hope that I met your expections for a Neji/Hinata fic. If not, tell me why so I can improve upon it. Thank you for reading (and maybe reviewing?)!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You will now get a small taste of why the rating went up! Enjoy. Oh, and after you read, review!

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Hinata sighed. She was hot and tired. They had been traveling for two days and three nights. Their first night they had traveled until the sun started to rise. Neji guided the mule off the path and they rested for five hours. Then they had journeyed on. They would travel for about ten hours then take a five hour break. Hinata had learned to drive a wagon which she was thrilled to learn. This had been a relief to Neji. They both had blisters covering their hands and Hinata had tried her best to doctor them. Sakura had packed a few books on medicines, treatments, and herbs. She had also included some medicine.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Neji asked as he navigated.

"Yes. Do you want me to take over?"

"No. It is almost time for a break. I don't want us to be traveling at this time of day. It is to hot and it will tire the mule and us." Neji replied.

Hinata nodded and slumped on the bench. She started to fidget even though she knew that Neji would disapprove. After about five minutes Neji glanced at her and cleared his throat. Hinata looked up at him and stuck her tongue out. Neji lifted his head back up and ran a hand over his face.

"We're stopping." He said thirty minutes later.

The cart came to a start and Hinata hopped out without Neji's help. Neji shot her a disapproving glance that Hinata ignored. She proceeded to build a small fire to warm up a small lunch. Neji took care of the mule and went to retrieve some drinking water. He returned a few minutes later with the water and sat beside Hinata. Hinata finished fixing their lunch and they ate in silence.

"You can take a nap if you want to." Neji told Hinata.

"No. I'll watch first." Hinata said. "In case you didn't notice, I'm a bit fidgety."

"Be careful. We can not get caught." Neji informed Hinata.

"Yes, Neji. I would not dream of getting you caught." Hinata said irritation in her voice as she stood up.

Neji grabbed her arm which caused Hinata to turn around and glare at Neji.

"What is up with you?" He asked.

"There is nothing wrong with me." Hinata replied.

"Yes, there is. I want you to tell me what is wrong with you."

Hinata removed her arm from Neji's grasp and turned and walked away without replying. Neji stared after her in shock. He had never known Hinata to act like she was now acting. He continued to look in the direction she had walked and thought of a way to help Hinata.

0000

Three days later Neji and Hinata felt confident enough to stop in a small town. They had crossed the border of Fire Country two days ago. Neji wanted to stop at a place that had a bathhouse. He pulled up in front of an inn that was on the other side of the town. Hinata allowed him to help her down which she hadn't done when they made their stops. They checked in and settled into their room. Neji left Hinata to unpack and he went to inquire about a hot spring.

Neji approached the receptionist at the front desk and asked, "Could you tell me if there are any hot springs around here?"

"Yeah. There are some at the hotel actually. Just walk out the door to the courtyard and follow the signs."

"Thank you." Neji said and went back to his room.

When he reached the room he saw Hinata seated cross legged on the bed. He stopped short in the doorway and observed her. She looked unhappy which he had not expected. It was like she had been forgotten by the world. He never imagined that she would look like that. They had planned on doing this if the need arose and it had. He figured that she would mourn some but not to this extent.

"Hinata."

Hinata looked up and quickly wiped at her eyes. "Yes?" Her voice was shaky.

"I have a surprise for you."

She stood up and followed Neji out the door and to the courtyard of the lobby. Neji then stepped behind her and put his hands over her eyes. He directed her steps to the building where they would undress to get into the springs. He told her to keep her eyes closed and went to the door and slid it open. He then led her to the door and told her to open her eyes. When she did she let out a gasp.

"Oh, Neji." She said softly.

He did not reply because there was none needed. She turned around and threw her arms around him. She let out a giggle and had soon stripped off her clothes and had a towel wrapped around her. She walked to the steps that went into the water and dropped her towel and walked in. Neji watched her and felt the urge to jump in the water, hold her close to him, and make her scream his name in pleasure. He barely resisted and turned from the delectable sight before him and started to walk away.

"Neji?"

He stopped short at the questioning voice. He turned his head slightly and saw Hinata in the water with her arms propped on the edge watching him.

"Yes, Hinata?"

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the room."

Hinata looked slightly crestfallen. She had figured that Neji wanted to share in the surprise that he had given her. Instead, it was if he was abandoning her. It probably wasn't like that but she had been abandoned so much in her life. Neji had been her one constant companion for many years except for the years when hatred had overtaken his heart. Since he released the hatred they had grown closer than ever before. The thought of being abandoned by her closest friend and one family member that truly cared about her terrified her.

Neji looked at her wondering what was going on in her head. She looked so hurt that it broke his heart, not that he would show that emotion or even acknowledge it to himself. He was still having issues with the fact that he acknowledged to himself that he cared about her. He turned back and proceeded to undress. He then wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back to the spring.

Hinata had not moved and was now looking at him in surprise. She had not expected him to come back. She figured that he would have ignored her and gone back to the room. She watched Neji as he stood on the steps with his hand holding the towel in place. He looked like a god to her. His hair was loose and the breeze kept blowing it in his face. The hand that was not holding the towel was being used to brush his hair back. His chest was bare and muscular. He was pale but she found that it worked for him. His eyes shone with something unknown and she knew that he did not know either.

As Hinata was watching Neji, he was watching her. She was far enough down in the water that it covered her breasts. Her hair was wet and was floating on top of the water around her. She had started to blush and it spread from her cheeks to her neck and then further down. It caused him to wonder how much further that blush went. He finally had no choice but to drop the towel or else get it wet. Hinata's mouth dropped open and she quickly turned away from him in embarrassment.

Neji watched her in amusement as he sank into the water. He figured that she had at least seen a man. It gave a sense of satisfaction that he was the first man that she had seen. He figured that she would have had some idea of what a man would look like but from her reaction she was clueless.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, Hinata." Neji told her.

She shook her head and turned back toward him but kept her eyes averted from him. She was now acting like she had when she had her crush on Naruto which thankfully she was over. But then again, she had no choice but to be over it when Naruto had announced that he liked men and didn't care what people thought. Naruto had not told his friends this in private though. No, he had waited until they were eating ramen and had announced it at what seemed like the top of his lungs. Neji had been sitting by Hinata when Naruto had made his big announcement and he had had to keep her from falling to the ground. She had soon excused herself and Neji had hurried after her. He had found her hiding under a deserted bridge crying. When he had gotten her to tell him what was wrong, she had said that she was counting on Naruto to help her deal with the pressures of running the clan even though her father probably would not allow a marriage to take place between them. That was the moment when Neji had vowed to himself that he would always be Hinata's support and would never abandon her. Now, as they sat in the hot spring, Neji wanted to be so much more to his cousin.

"I'm going in, Neji." Hinata said but she did not move.

He looked over at her and nodded.

"But you have to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to see me." Hinata answered with a blush.

Hinata waited a little but Neji would not close his eyes or turn away from her. She wished that she had brought her towel over to where she was and then there would not have been an issue. "Neji, can you hand me my towel?"

"No."

Hinata resigned herself to having to be seen. She would have just climbed out from where she was but she needed her towel. She wrapped her arms over her breasts and stood up. She walked around the perimeter of the spring so she would not have to walk directly in front of Neji. As she walked, Neji kept his eyes glued to her. He wanted to respect her wishes and not watch her but she was so beautiful that he couldn't help but watch her. She finally got to where she could reach her towel. She removed her arms from in front of her breasts and wrapped the towel around her. Part of the towel ended up being down in the water so when Hinata stepped out of the spring, it stuck to her giving Neji a view of her shapely bottom. He didn't say anything as Hinata went inside to change. He gave her enough time to get to their room and spend some time in there by herself. He got out of the spring and headed toward the room. By now the sun was starting to set casting an orange glow over the world. Neji reached the room and saw Hinata passed out on the bed. He smiled a genuine smile which was very unusual. He took a shower and put on a pair of boxers. He climbed into the bed and laid there. He just stared at the ceiling and tried to ignore the urge to wake Hinata up and make love to her. He finally drifted off to sleep but jerked awake when he felt Hinata snuggle up to him and sigh. He turned over on his side and pulled Hinata close to him.

Hinata woke up the next morning with a contented smile on her face. She didn't know why but then she realized that her back was pressed against someone's chest. There was also an arm holding her in place. She turned her head slightly and saw that it was Neji who was holding her tight against him. He looked so peaceful that she did not want to disturb him.

Hinata moved slightly which caused Neji to frown. He pulled her closer and let out a sigh. His frown smoothed and he went back to looking peaceful. This caused Hinata to let out a small giggle which she tried to stifle by clamping her hand over her mouth. However, she was a bit late and Neji heard it in his dream. In his dream, he was not asleep with Hinata in his arms. They were awake and naked and Hinata was under him. He was kissing her neck which caused Hinata to giggle in his dreams.

"Neji?"

Neji jerked awake and realized that he did have some form of clothes on and was not on top of Hinata. He was holding her tight against him like he would never let her go. Without thinking, he moved his lips to her neck and kissed her softly. Hinata gasped at the sudden movement and tried to pull away. Neji let her but stared after her. Hinata had a look of confusion on her face.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay. Just forget about it." Hinata said before running to the bathroom.

Neji continued to stare where she had been standing. He had not expected that reaction. Actually he had not expected to kiss her. But even a little kiss would not have caused such a reaction. Then he realized something, he had an erection. He fell on his back and let out a sigh. Then he realized that the sheet was tented some. He rolled onto his stomach in case Hinata came out of the bathroom soon. He groaned into the pillow when he realized that it was the one that Hinata had used and it smelled of her. As he laid there, he tried to think of anything but Hinata which was not working. The more he tried not to think about her, the more he did.

He thought about the day before at the hot spring and what could have happened if Hinata had not left. Or if he had gone and sat next to her. There was something about Hinata and water that was so damn sexy. His mind wandered to Hinata sitting on his lap as he kissed her. He would be gentle with his cousin as he ran his hands down her body, stopping at her breasts, cupping and squeezing them gently. One hand would go to her lower back to hold her in place and the other hand would go further down. As he was touching her, she would be moaning and begging him to continue. She would have both hands resting on his chest and would slide one down until she wrapped her hand around his manhood.

As Neji had been thinking, his hand had been moving toward his erection. He was aching and needed relief. He knew that this would be the only way to receive relief. As his hand slipped into his boxers, he heard the bathroom door open. He cursed silently to himself as he moved his hand out of his boxers. He looked up and saw Hinata standing by the bed and was wrapped only in a towel. It took all that it had not to reach up and jerk the towel off her.

"Neji, I have a question."

"What is it?" He muffled into the pillow.

"Well, umm… I don't know how to ask this, but..."

By now Neji was looking up at her and noticed that she was blushing hard. Her face was the color of a tomato and a lighter red covered her neck, chest, and shoulders. "Just ask, Hinata." He said a bit irritably.

"Never mind." She said as she stood up.

"You've already started saying something, so just say it."

Hinata took a deep breath, "What is it like to be with someone?"

This was one thing that Neji had not been expecting. "Why are you asking such? Didn't you overhear Sakura or Ino or someone else talking about such?"

"I never did ask them and they never talked about that while I was around them. We were not close enough to discuss such. You were the only one I could ask."

"You never did answer why you brought up the question."

"I have been feeling urges that I don't understand."

"You didn't feel urges with Naruto?" Neji asked slightly shocked.

"Not like this." Hinata sat down beside Neji who was still lying down. He had turned his head so he could look at her.

"What do you mean?" Neji asked not sure where this conversation was headed.

"With Naruto it was more like a first crush. There really were not urges. Now, whenever I think of someone special to me, I begin to ache."

"Ache?" Neji asked even though he knew what Hinata was talking about. He just wanted her to say it.

Hinata nodded. "It is like there is a fire that burns inside me. Mainly the fire is between my legs." Hinata hung her head low and said, "I tried to see if it would go away if I touched myself there and it didn't. It only made it worse."

Neji definitely had not been expecting that. That was a far cry from what he thought Hinata would even do. What she also probably did not realize was the effect it had on him. He reached up and brushed Hinata's cheek. She looked over at him and smiled softly. She looked so gorgeous at that moment. But before anything further could develop, Hinata stood up, grabbed her clothes, and went into the bathroom to change. Neji sighed and waited for Hinata to free the bathroom so he could use it.

An hour later, Neji helped Hinata into the cart. They left town and moved further away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

Neji let out a sigh of annoyance which caused Hinata to look at him in slight shock. She had never known her cousin to express irritation through such common practices. They had been traveling by cart for a month and a half. Hinata was wondering if they would ever get to their destination but chose not to annoy Neji with such questions. Neji let out another sigh and Hinata asked with slight hesitation, "Neji?"

"What?" He replied not really wanting to be bothered.

"You keep sighing and it has me concerned." Hinata replied, her eyes showing her concern.

"There is no problem. I've just been thinking."

"About what?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing. It is nothing you have to worry about."

Hinata nodded a little before sitting straight up. Neji followed suit and went, "You noticed it also?"

Hinata nodded in agreement. They had picked up an extremely faint chakra signature following them. Neji wanted to use the Byakugan but quickly remembered he could not. "Damn it." He muttered. Hinata reached under the seat and drew out a kunai. Soon a figure jumped in front of the traveling couple. He looked like he had not bathed in several weeks. His clothes were caked with mud and he had a wild look to his eyes.

"Get out of our way." Neji coldly told the man.

"The pretty boy is trying to boss me around." The man taunted. "Next you are probably going to tell that pretty girl to stay down so she doesn't get hurt."

"Actually, no. The pretty girl could whoop your ass. We don't have time to deal with shit like you. This is your last warning before you die. Move."

The man did not move. Instead, he reached into a pouch and sent three shuriken towards Neji and Hinata. Hinata jumped out of the cart and was able to deflect the shuriken.

"Well, well. Looks like the girl can fight. I bet you are a real wildcat in bed. How would like to spend the night with me?" The man taunted.

Hinata's face had turned red both from embarrassment and anger. How dare he insinuate things about her! "Neji, I've got this. You hold onto the mule. You are going to be better able to control her if this guy tries anything."

Neji ignored her and jumped down and landed beside her. He looked at the man with disgust and hatred in his eyes. He would have let Hinata handle the man, but his sense of duty to protect the former heiress kicked in. Not to mention he would have never forgiven himself if she had been injured. "Distract him and I'll try to hit some of his chakra points." Neji muttered to Hinata who nodded.

"I see you two are making a plan. I bet the girl is going to distract me and then you attack. I don't think so. Never underestimate your opponent." The man said before disappearing and reappearing behind Hinata.

Hinata let out a slight gasp as she felt the cool metal of a kunai at her throat. She knew that she would not be able to move or else the weapon would be in her throat in a matter of seconds. She was trying her best not to shake and was succeeding for the most part. The man pressed his chest against Hinata's back before wrapping his left arm around her waist. "One move and the girl will die." He told Neji who looked murderous. "But first I think I will have a little fun with her. You would like that now wouldn't you?"

Hinata did not move. She just whispered, "Neji" before she felt his free hand moving toward her breast. She could still feel the kunai resting against her neck, daring her to try to escape. Hinata drew in a deep breath as his hand slipped under her shirt and started to massage her breast even though it was covered by her bindings. She saw Neji disappear and felt the kunai move away from her neck. The man holding her threw the knife and she heard a slight noise behind her. He removed his hand from under her shirt and wrapped it around her waist before turning them around. There was Neji tied to a tree with chakra strings. He was calm as if he was trying to figure out how to escape.

"Your pitiful boyfriend can't do anything to help you now." The attacker said as he undid Hinata's shirt with his free hand. Her shirt fell open and she started to panic. Neji realized what was going on and his eyes took on a murderous glint. He saw the man cut open the bindings that held Hinata's breasts and watched her breasts fall free from their confines.

"Fight him, Hinata. You can do it." He muttered as he fought against the chakra strings.

The man moved his hand to Hinata's wrist as he moved in front of her. Hinata closed her eyes for a moment and got into the frame of mind she had when she fought in a battle. She focused some of her chakra to her right foot and kicked at the man. She caught his knee and heard it crack. He let out a hiss of pain and said, "You little bitch" before snapping her wrist. Hinata managed to not let out a noise at the pain that shot through her arm and she blinked back the tears that sprang to her eyes. The man then drew his free arm back and punched Hinata across the jaw which caused a crack to be heard. All Hinata did was grunt at the pain.

After releasing her wrist, the ninja reached into his weapons pouch and drew a shuriken which he threw at Hinata. Hinata easily dodged and threw a chakra blade at the man. The blade hit him in the stomach and blood started to soak his shirt. The hit caused the man to stumble back a couple of feet. When he did, he fell onto something cold and sharp. He looked up and saw the eyes of Neji.

"How?" was all he asked.

"Never underestimate your opponent." Neji coolly replied as he started to walk away. He turned his head slightly and said, "You should have enforced the chakra strings better."

"Damn Hyugas. I never should have listened to that Hyuga leader." The dying ninja muttered.

Both Neji and Hinata turned to the man. "What do you mean?" Neji asked.

"I mean the Hyuga leader told me that two clan members had run away with the help of the Hokage and that I would get a substantial amount of money if I captured the two. It sounded easy and I needed the money."

"What else were you told?" Neji asked, anger flashing in his eyes.

"To kill you if you would not come quietly. He also said that he did not care what happened to the girl and that I could do anything to her." The man said as his breathing started to become more labored. "That man sure is a hard ass." He said with a slight chuckle which caused him to start choking on the blood that was coming from his mouth.

The man's coughing died down and he continued. "It seems that he is having some trouble though. I didn't here this from the leader but it was gossip going around the village. The girl who ran away was replaced as heir to the clan by her younger sister. The funny thing is, the replacement isn't fit to lead either!"

"What do you mean by that?" Hinata asked curious as to where the dying ninja was going with this.

The man was silent for a minute and was starting to struggle with his speech. "She is…pregnant."

Hinata's hand went to her mouth in shock. Neji stood there, face emotionless. Hinata was the first to speak, "Did you hear who did it to her?"

"It was…" the man was hit by a fit of coughing which subsided after a couple of minutes. "It was some ninja who had joined that snake guy." The ninja paused to let the words sink in. "Could you do me one favor?" He asked.

"What." Neji stated more than asked.

"Could you put in the shade?"

Hinata stepped forward to do so but was stopped by a hand on her arm. She looked and saw the reproach in Neji's eyes. "But he is dying."

Neji realized that no matter how much resistance he put up, Hinata was going to move the man anyway. He moved his hand and watched Hinata drag the man to the shade. They walked away and got back on the cart and headed off in towards their destination. Neither of them realized that someone else had appeared next to the dying ninja. Someone who temporarily healed his wounds before slinging him over their back and headed towards a village so he could receive proper healing.

00000

"Do you think that he was telling the truth?" Hinata asked once they were on their way again.

"Yes." Neji replied a little tired from the battle.

"Why do you think that?" Hinata asked.

"I wouldn't put it past your father to pull something that low down. The part that I am not so sure about is what he said about Hanabi."

"I can believe that Hanabi would have become pregnant but Father would not have allowed her to keep the baby. His heir has to be perfect."

"He should have chosen you then." Neji said without thinking.

Hinata looked at him surprised at the compliment. She blushed slightly as she said, "Thank you, Neji."

Neji just nodded. Silence fell between the two as they got lost in their thoughts. The silence was soon interrupted by Hinata. "How would Hanabi have gotten to Sasuke?"

"He did not specifically say Sasuke." Neji pointed out, "But I have no idea how she would have gotten to one of Orochimaru's subordinates."

Hinata spoke up softly as if she was ashamed of what she was about to say, "I don't know if you know, but Hanabi has already had an abortion."

Neji quickly turned his head to Hinata shock evident on his face as she continued, "It was when she was fifteen. I heard her crying one night and went to check on her. She kept saying that the baby was gone. Father must have heard her crying because he came to the room and told her to shut up because it was her fault because she was the one to become pregnant. He pulled me out of the room and told me to not go near Hanabi's room again. She was getting what she deserved." Hinata finished so softly that Neji could barely hear what she was saying.

"She still became heir to the clan even after that." Neji said incredulously.

"She may have had some issues but she is still a stronger shinobi than me according to Father. It does not matter that her morals are questionable, it only matters that she is strong. But Father never did realize how strong I have become. I can probably rival Hanabi. Not that any attention was paid to me." Hinata said almost angrily.

Neji halted the cart and turned to Hinata. "You can whip Hanabi's ass any day. I do not want to hear you berate yourself again. If you are weak, you will work on becoming stronger."

With that, they set off again.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that the update was late. I had major issues writing this chapter. I'm still not completely satisfied with it, mainly the part where the "fight" takes place. I had to rewrite it three or four times. The rewrite was much better. And I need your help. I need the name for the country they are headed to and the name of a village for them to settle. I have some ideas but they are not great. And by not great, they suck. So if you can help me out that would be great! And I am going to try to get one more update out before I head back to school on Aug. 25. I can not wait to be back. I say that now. Thanks for letting me ramble!

P.S. If Neji seems OOC, I am sorry about that. I am trying to keep him as true to his character as possible but I might stray some. If you have any issues with that, sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

"Here he is." Said an uncaring voice as he dumped a body on the floor before he left.

Kabuto walked over to the body and prodded it with his foot. The body let out a groan as it moved slightly. Kabuto tsked and picked the body up and placed it on an examining table. He injected some medicine that would take the pain away and also wake the man up. The man opened his eye and Kabuto smirked. "You didn't succeed I take it."

"They put up a bigger fight than was expected."

"Then you should have died. You still might. Our master will not be happy."

"Your master will not be happy with what?" A silky voice asked.

Kabuto turned around and bowed slightly, "Lord Orochimaru. The mission was failed."

"I am no longer your lord, Kabuto. Though I do like it when you call me that." Orochimaru sent a look toward Kabuto who blushed slightly. Orochimaru walked over to the table and said, "Lord Hyuga will not be pleased. Be prepared to die. Kabuto, give him no more medicine." With that, Orochimaru left the room followed by Kabuto.

0000

"What do you mean he failed?" Hiashi asked his voice as cold as steel.

"He says that they were stronger than he expected." Kabuto replied.

"Did he try to take Neji out of the picture first? Not that it matters now. I need those two taken care as soon as possible. They must not be allowed to have any offspring. It could be detrimental to my desire to take over Konoha." Hiashi said as he looked out a window in the direction of Konoha.

"Should we send Sasuke after him?" Kabuto asked.

"No. I have a better idea than that. One that will bring them heartache and possibly kill my daughter. Now, the problem that was brought back needs to be taken care of. Orochimaru, I believe you can take care of that." With that, Hiashi left the small building and quickly headed home.

Kabuto grimaced as Orochimaru walked out of the room. A blood curdling scream was soon heard as the little problem was taken care of.

0000

"Shizune!" Tsunade yelled.

Shizune came running into the office and barely got out, "Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

"I need you to bring Hiashi to me."

Shizune nodded and went to find a messenger to retrieve the Hyuga leader.

Tsunade turned to the window and muttered, "I know you are up to something but I don't know what."

Within fifteen minutes Hiashi was seated in Tsunade's office. "You summoned me, Hokage?"

Not in the mood to bullshit, Tsunade turned to him and said, "I want you to tell me what you are up to."

"I am just trying to lead my clan." Hiashi calmly replied.

"It seems you are barely seen in the village. And about the same time Orochimaru's activities died down. Now that is either coincidence or you are up to something."

"I choose to believe that it is coincidence. There is no way that I would even associate with a village traitor. I would do anything to protect and better this place we call home."

Tsunade nodded and said, "Okay. You can leave now."

Hiashi stood up and bowed before leaving the room. When the door closed behind him, Shizune walked over to Tsunade. "What was that about?"

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling that he is up to something."

"What makes you think that, Lady Tsunade?"

"He has not said anything to me about sending out a team to find Neji and Hinata. The first few days he was here everyday pestering me. Then he all of a sudden quit. Not to mention, I have a gut feeling that he is up to something. Shizune, something big is going to happen. I don't know how, what, or when, but it is going to happen." Tsunade leaned over to pet Ton-Ton for a moment then sat back up. She closed her eyes and said, "There is one thing that I do know. Whatever is going to happen is going to greatly involve the Hyugas. Now bring me some sake."

0000

"Hanabi!"

Hanabi flinched as she heard her father call her. For him to have spoken so loudly he was not in a good mood. And when Hiashi Hyuga was not in a good mood, things did not go well. She stood up from her position on her bedroom floor and slid the door open. She saw her father who motioned for her to follow him. She followed him to his office and kneeled on one of the mats that was in front of his low desk.

"How are you feeling today?" Hiashi asked no emotion in his voice.

"Fine, Father." Hanabi replied.

"I am going to be bringing in a special medic to oversee your pregnancy. We can not afford for anything to go wrong. You must keep your activities to a minimum and it is preferable that you not leave the estate at all." All Hanabi did in response was nod her head in agreement. Hiashi continued, "Have you had any contact with the father?"

"No, Father."

"Does he even know that he is to be a father?"

"He has not heard it from me."

"Are you positive that he is the father? Your antics are well known. I do not want any mistakes made in this matter."

"He is the father. I just have not been able to be in contact with him."

"I have. You need to take responsibility and tell him. I will not tell him. As the future leader of this clan, you must tell things that will not be welcomed. Though, this might be welcomed. Though one can never know in such things. I have just one more question for you. Do you love him?"

Hanabi looked up slightly surprised. Hiashi must have seen the surprise in her eyes because he said, "If you love him, this could cause a problem. I want you to mother the best of the best. It is a shame that the DNA of numerous men could not be combined. So we will have to choose the best men for your children. Now answer my question."

"No, Father. I do not love him." Hanabi softly replied.

"That is good. You can leave now." Hiashi dismissed.

Hanabi stood up and left the office and quietly walked to her room. She went laid down on her bed and tried to hold back the tears that had come to her eyes. Her one outlet that she thought could not be controlled was now being controlled. How dare her father control her sex life! Why was she the one chosen to breed the perfect children? Oh, yes. Her ability to fight was better than her sister's.

_Damn you, Hinata!_ Hanabi angrily thought. _You were able to escape out from under Father's iron fist. I can't. I have to stay and breed the perfect children. I hate you! I will make sure that you regret the day you and Neji left this miserable hell hole. But you won't even know what has hit you. I want you to lose everything precious to you. Your team, your friends, your…yes, even your precious love, Neji. I know that you do not know the full extent of your feelings for him, but you will, when he is gone. Ripped from your life. Your life will be controlled like mine is. You will become so miserable you will want to die. So much for escaping and finding the perfect life, Sister. Oh, no. I will make sure that you will never have a perfect life._ And with that thought, Hanabi began her descent.

0000

"Lady Hokage! We have a problem!" Shizune burst into Tsunade's office only to find her asleep. Shizune walked over to her and shook her awake.

"What the hell?" Tsunade asked angrily.

"There is a problem." Shizune replied.

"Well how the hell am I supposed to fix the problem unless I know what it is?"

"It is Akamaru. I saw Hana Inuzuka and she told me that Akamaru was found this morning."

"Found? I didn't even know he was missing. I haven't assigned Kiba any missions lately so I didn't know about this."

"No. He was found dead this morning." Shizune replied softly.

"While that is a terrible loss to the village and more importantly Kiba, I don't see how this is a problem."

"The problem is that he was poisoned. From what Hana told me, it was enough to kill five dogs the size of Akamaru." Shizune said in a slight huff before an air of sadness surrounded her yet again. "And there is something else."

"What is it this time? Don't tell me that one of Hatake's ninken was also poisoned." Tsunade finished with a hint of sarcasm to her voice.

Shizune nodded. "I only wish that it was that. It is Asuma and Kurenai. They've experienced a major tragedy."

Tsunade sat up fully alert. "What has happened?"

"They found their child dead this morning in her bed." Shizune paused for a moment to catch herself before her voice broke. She continued as tears started to come to her eyes and fall. "She had been stabbed numerous times with a kunai. According to Sakura, the body had been mutilated."

Tsunade sat frozen to her chair. Why this sudden attack? First Akamaru then Kurenai and Asuma's little girl. If it had been one or the other she would have contributed it to someone wanting revenge against that one party. But in this, there was only one common thread. It had hit the same team.

"What the hell is going on?" Tsunade asked herself.

Shizune just looked at her. She jumped slightly when Tsunade said, "Shizune I need you to get me Sakura, Shino, Ino, and Shikamaru. Also, Temari of the Sand is supposed to still be in the village. Bring her also. I need a woman who will not let emotions get in the way of her judgment. She is not as close to the situation as everyone else is. I also need two team leaders. I need Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy. And Jiraiya if he is in the village. Get them here as soon as possible."

Shizune quickly left to go do as Tsunade had commanded. "Kotetsu!" The ninja came running at the sound of Tsunade's yell.

"Yes, Lady Hokage?"

"I need you to do two things. First, go find Shizune and help her locate the people I told her to find. Second, when you finish that chore, go to the nearest bar and tell them to reserve me a case of sake. I'll be in there tonight."

Kotetsu nodded before leaving Tsunade. "Damn it, damn it, damn it." was all she said as she waited for the group of ninja to invade her office.

0000

Jiraiya was the first one to show up. When he walked in, there was no playful teasing. There was no proposition to Tsunade. There was no remark that was anywhere near being perverted. When he walked in, he had an air of seriousness around him. He had the attitude of a man who did not want to be messed with and if he was messed with, he would whip your ass.

Tsunade looked up and smiled slightly. She had known this man for so long and yet he continued to amaze her. He was acting every bit the sannin that he was. She had known that if he was in the village, he would be there. He always was. Whenever she was in trouble or going through heartache or just needed advice, he was there. She stood up from behind her desk and walked to Jiraiya who was standing at the side of her desk. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to bury herself in him. All Jiraiya did was put his arms around her and held her close. However, they soon released their embrace when they heard some of the others approach the door. Tsunade quickly sat back down and Jiraiya took his place beside her chair.

Sakura and Kakashi walked in and a few minutes later Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, and Temari, and Guy came in. They all looked in surprise at Kakashi who had arrived first. He just shrugged and said, "Someone made sure I was on time."

"I'm sure that you are wondering why I assembled you all together." Tsunade started off as the group of ninja lined in front of her desk nodded. "It is because you are all affected by the tragedy that has befallen us. Shino, you are part of Kiba's team and also Kurenai's team. Ino and Shikamaru, you are part of Asuma's team. Kakashi and Guy, you are friends with both Kurenai and Asuma. Temari, you are related to this incident by being the girlfriend of Shikamaru Nara. You are also the only woman of this group that will not let her emotions affect her like it will others. Sakura, you have known these people for many years, and you are also the one who examined the body of the little girl." Everyone nodded their heads even as fresh tears started to fall down Sakura and Ino's cheeks.

"I believe these incidents are related. We have two priorities in this situation. First, we have to find out who committed these acts. Second, we have to find out why these acts were committed. It is doubtful that we will find out the why until we find the who. Are there any questions?"

For a moment there was silence before Ino spoke up. "How do you believe these incidents are related?"

Shikamaru spoke up, "They all involve Kurenai-sensei's team. It is as if someone is targeting that specific team."

"The only ones from the team who have not been affected then, are Shino and Hinata." Sakura spoke up.

Tsunade turned her gaze to Shino, "Shino Aburame, did you kill Kiba's ninken, Akamaru, or Kurenai and Asuma's child, Sachi?"

"No, Lady Hokage." Shino replied.

"That leaves only one person." Kakashi spoke up. "Hinata."

"But she's not here." Tsunade replied.

"Could this be a way to possibly get her back?" Temari asked.

"But why would someone start killing to get her back?" Ino asked.

"Someone who would want to break her fragile heart. She would receive word of the deaths of those closest to her and she would die of a broken heart." Guy said dramatically.

"As corny as that sounds, it does have some truth to it." Jiraiya said thoughtfully.

"Tsunade-shishou. Could one of the Hyuga's have done this?" Sakura asked.

"Possibly. In this instance, anyone could have done anything. But the problem is why would they do this." Tsunade replied frustration creeping into her voice.

No one could offer an explanation to that.

"I did call you in for a specific reason. It is a mission that you will have to take on. You will not receive pay for it, but there will be some sort of compensation." Tsunade turned to Temari. "I realize that you are not part of this village, but you will be welcome to help." Temari nodded her head in an affirmative that she would help.

"Ino, I would like for you to keep an eye on Kurenai and Asuma. Do anything you can to help them. However, do not be overly cheerful. They do not want that in there time of need. Shino, you will need to keep an eye on both Kiba and Kurenai. Also, be careful. You might be the next target." At that, Tsunade did not miss the slight look of fear that flashed in Ino's eyes. "Kakashi, Guy, Shikamaru. I need you for two things. One, be there for Asuma. I'm sure that you will know what to do in the situation. Second, keep an eye on the Hyuga estate. Temari will help you with that. Sakura, I need you to perform an autopsy on the body. I need to know the number of stab wounds and the approximate time of death. Also, you may be needed to help keep an eye on the Hyugas or help Shino or Ino."

Sakura nodded and said, "The autopsy has already been performed."

Tsunade looked up in slight shock. Sakura hurried to explain, "We were not busy when the body was brought in. I figured that you would want to know the information as soon as possible."

Tsunade nodded in relief. She would not have to wait for the most important results. "Go ahead and tell me the results you have."

Sakura nodded and took a deep breath hoping that tears would not come. "There were fifteen stab wounds." At that most everyone gasped. "One of the wounds was directly through her heart." At that, the tears came. "She died around four in the morning. She was discovered by Asuma-sensei around five in the morning before he headed out for training."

Tsunade nodded, shocked beyond words at the information Sakura had just given her. Ino had started to sob and Shino was awkwardly patting her back. Even Temari had tears rolling down her cheeks. Tsunade was finally able to speak and said, "Thank you, your mission begins now."

Everyone filed out of the room except for Jiraiya. He put his hand on Tsunade's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. He went to leave but was stopped by Tsunade wrapping her arms around his waist. He turned so that he could hold her and she cried into his shirt. They stood like that for what seemed like forever oblivious to the fact that Shizune had arrived with a message that said Hinata and Neji had made it to their destination.

* * *

A/N: Please don't hate me! I didn't expect for this to happen. I didn't realize when I started this story that I would be killing off people or in a certain case a beloved white dog by the name of Akamaru. That was just a depressing chapter. Next chapter, we find out where Neji and Hinata settle. I'm thinking about putting a nice little happy present in there. Actually, it will more than likely be there because I need some happiness after this. You know, it is bad when you depress yourself. I felt really bad about killing Akamaru when I have a dog asleep on my feet. I would be so depressed if George died. Or any of my pets for that matter. Actually, I'm recovering from my kitty dying. She was such a sweetheart. I miss Boo Boo. Sorry. I just had to ramble about that and this seemed like a good place to do it. Now, I don't know when I'll be able to update. I move back to school on Aug. 25 and am thrilled to be going back! The only part I'm not looking forward to is the whole class thing. I'm only doing 12 hours but two of those classes are going to be killers- Senior Seminar (which has a 30 page paper on something historic- I'm a history major by the way) and Modern Political Thought (which is going to be a butt load of reading). Also, throw in American Revolution and Intro to Psychology and you have a semester that is not going to be fun. But I will make time for you wonderful readers! And if you have stuck with me and read this entire author's note that is basically one page in Word, thank you! You won't get a reward but you did get a small glimpse into my life. See you next chapter!


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